Happier Childhoods
Happier Childhoods is a podcast for adults shaping childhood through movement, play, and connection.
Hosted by Carrie Speed of PlayMotion Kids, this show offers honest conversations and practical ideas for parents, teachers, childcare directors, social workers, caregivers, enrichment instructors, and child-focused professionals who want to support kids in meaningful, doable ways.
Each episode explores childhood wellbeing, child development, behavior, emotional regulation, resilience, sensory needs, trauma-informed care, play-based learning, mindfulness, movement, and the everyday science of connection.
You’ll hear conversations about what it really takes to help children feel safe, supported, and connected while also supporting the adults who care for them.
Carrie is a social worker and the founder of PlayMotion Kids, a movement, music, and mindfulness enrichment program for children. She also certifies and licenses instructors who want to bring movement, mindfulness, and whole-child learning to children in their own communities.
Because when adults are supported, equipped, and encouraged, happier childhoods become possible.
If you care about creating healthier, happier childhoods, you belong here.
www.playmotionkids.com
www.playmotionkids.com/businessowners
Happier Childhoods
EP 14: Raising Readers in a Screen-Filled World with Literacy Expert Stephanie Affinito
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
What if reading wasn’t just about academics but about health, emotional regulation, connection, and joy?
In this episode, Carrie sits down with Stephanie Affinito, literacy teacher educator, author of Leading Literate Lives, and host of the KidLit Love podcast, to talk about how books truly shape childhood.
Stephanie shares why reading helps children feel seen and understood, how strong reading identities are formed, and what families can do to support reluctant readers without pressure or power struggles. You’ll also learn how journaling and notebooking can deepen a child’s emotional processing, why reading is an underrated wellness tool, and how adults can reconnect with reading for themselves, even in busy seasons of life.
This conversation is full of practical insight, gentle mindset shifts, and permission to make reading feel inviting instead of forced.
In this episode, we cover:
- Why books help children make sense of their world
- How reading builds empathy, resilience, and emotional health
- What to do when a child says “I hate reading”
- Simple ways to create meaningful reading rituals at home
- How journaling supports both literacy and nervous-system regulation
- The role of audiobooks — and when they’re most helpful
- What gives Stephanie hope for the future of literacy
⏱️ Episode Chapters
00:00 – The Power of Reading in Childhood
03:27 – Books as Portals to Understanding
06:49 – Building Strong Reading Identities
09:34 – Encouraging Reluctant Readers
12:26 – Creating a Reading Ritual at Home
15:37 – Common Missteps in Promoting Reading
18:40 – The Benefits of Journaling with Reading
21:42 – Reconnecting Adults with Reading
24:34 – The Role of Audiobooks
27:34 – Challenges and Hopes for Literacy
30:46 – Connecting with Stephanie Affinito
🔗 Connect with Stephanie
- Website: https://www.alitlife.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit
- Podcast: KidLit Love
- Book: Leading Literate Lives
✨ Special Project:
Stephanie also offers 365 Book Postcards — a free, handwritten book recommendation sent by mail based on your (or your child’s) reading interests. It’s a fun way to connect readers with the books they need most.
🌱 Create Impact in Your Own Community
If you’re inspired by this conversation and feel called to support children through movement, mindfulness, and whole-child wellness, you can learn more about becoming a PlayMotion Kids Certified Instructor.
👉 Visit https://www.playmotionkids.com
to explore training opportunities and bring joyful, purpose-driven movement to kids in your community.
FB & IG: playmotionkids
Website: www.playmotionkids.com
Want to bring movement, music, and mindfulness to parents and children in your community? Learn more at www.playmotionkids.com/businessowners
IG: better.childhood.project